Confucius, Chinese Philosopher. 551
An oppressive government is more to be feared than a tiger.
KNOWING THE STRIPES
In the jungle of our perception resides our emotions
Revolving around trust and fear
It is logical to hold the notion
That we fear the tiger and trust what we hear
The tiger is real, we must trust his intentions
He is exactly as he appeared
But from what they've proven, in my contention
Empty promises of a government are to be feared
Confucius, Chinese Philosopher. 551 BC-479 BC)
If you think in terms of a year, plant a seed, if in terms of ten years, plant trees, if in terms of 100 years, teach the people.
THE GREAT FOREST
When you think about only day by day
Little accomplishments appears the way
Bits and pieces are the way to go
Plant the seeds and watch them grow
If in years you are able to foresee
Perhaps it is time to plant a tree
A permanent growth to look upon
Your mark on history for when you're gone
But if you think in the terms of a century
It is important to think beyond the tree
In your quest to make the forest stand
We must educate our fellow man
The symbol of our civilization
Was born from our own imagination
A great forest we have created with our own courage
The great men within it will make it flourish
And another quote I would like to leave you with today is from HYPATIA, a Greek Philosopher (350-414) You can see he goes way back.
Life is an unfoldment, and the further we travel the more truth we can comprehend. To understand the things that are at our door is the best preparation for understanding those that lie beyond.
"If we can just see who we are, we can have a glimpse of who we can become if we maintain our due course.
If we are satisfied with who we are, we will maintain that course. If there needs to be changes made, the present is the best time to look at your map and change the path of your life's journey."
Marian Beatty
FROM THE LITTERED PATHWAY
Life is not a super highway
It is meant to be a walking path
Things left littered along the byways
Are memories left in your past
Come time to time your forward progress
Must be stalled in order to look behind you
It is good for the soul to at times regressed
To pick up memories that in life defined you
People are not a sterile creature
They are made up events experienced along the way
Some are just short clips, some major features
And you are the subject which they portray
Of the littered pieces left behind you
There is always some shreds you will maintain
Little notes that will always remind you
Who you were from where you came
From the littered pathway you grew your heart
Your mind was enriched, your personality uncovered
You developed your soul from merely a spark
And with each glance back you are rediscovered
The quote is from Thomas Edison. It might be a familiar one to you but I think we are all in need of some inspiration.
If we all did the things we are capable of doing, we would literally astound ourselves.
BY OUR OWN SELVES CONDEMNED
We are wrapped within a blanket of self imposed ignorance
Is it too much of an effort to be aware?
We are on the verge of a government imposed dependency
As they whittle away our rights, why do so few people care?
Students find learning a waste of their precious time
Most are at a loss to the core of our history
There is too much of a rush for them in a virtual world
Just look around and you will realize our dilemma is no mystery
So hard our ancestors toiled to retain our liberty
So much sweat on their brows in their pursuit of success
Now we are caught in the web of demeaning liberal greed
Is there any question why our economy is such a mess?
Liberty is costly in sweat equity and continued knowledge
Only being ambitious and informed will freedom thrive
Yes, it is easier to lazily accept a tyrant's handouts
But is it in oppressed poverty we can happily survive?
If we could realize our capabilities the results could be astounding
Chasing rainbows and dreams are surely not a sin
Yet we wallow under the thumb of those who steal all of our hope
Why would we choose to be by our own selves condemned?
The next quotes are from WOLE SOYINKA. He is a Nigerian Dramatist born 1934:
Power is domination control, and therefore a very selective form of truth which is a lie.
BUILT ON A LIE
Twisted non facts
Told and denied
Not taking it back
We know it's a lie
"But I didn't know"
More empty excuses
He spends all our dough
For frivolous uses
Won't work with the congress
He wants all the power
There is no hope for justice
With each political encounter
It's the use of the lies
That got him control
Now he is thoroughly despised
In his presidential role
The man dies in all who keep silent in the face of tyranny.
REST IN PEACE
The storm approaches the republic
But silence is all we will hear
From those who know it is coming
It's a tumultuous atmosphere
It hurts so to be demonized
Labeled a bigot or worse
People remain silent for fear of reprisal
It's a typical political curse
The storm arrives in the form of a tyrant
The silent have been brought to their knees
They have dragged the few vocal down with them
To suffer in their common disease
We have witnessed the death of our country
At the hands of a powerful tyrant
The warnings were not heard in our voices
Because too many chose to be silent
The works an unknown good man has done is like a vein of water flowing hidden under ground, secretly making the ground green.
Thomas Carlyle, Scottish writer, historian, philosopher 1795-1881
BELIEVE
You will never see the droplets form
That creates the cloud that brings the rain
Which will drench the thirsty fields
And will nourish the hungry with bountiful grain
You will never see the best of men
Who sacrifice their oft time vain dreams
To give something back to the world around them
So life's opportunities can continue for hapless souls unseen
You will never see our Savior stand
Before you as you say your prayers
But goodness will continue if you believe
That the answers are truly there
The actions of men are the best interpretations of their thoughts. (James Joyce, our Irish writer friend)
INTERPRETATION
It is said we cannot read minds
Can't see inside a person's head
With actions and his rhetoric combined
He is what he is, not what he said
He can make promises
We can see which are kept
By looking under the carpet
For the lies he swept
Yes, we can read a man's thoughts
When we compare what he will say and do
Serious listeners cannot be outfoxed
By a man who stands on words untrue
ALL AHEAD FULL
Like a vessel left unattended
When our attention is distracted
The tides can take us off our course
And our journey becomes impacted
It may take a lowly seaman
To set the captain straight
For it doesn't always take a captain
To realize we've gone astray
It may be a simple adjustment
Or a completed turn to starboard
To send our ship on course again
And to the safety of the harbor
The quote is from James Joyce. He was an Irish writer born February 2, 1882.
Every life is many days., day after day. We walk through ourselves meeting robbers, ghosts, giants, old men, young men, wives, widows, brothers-in-love. But always meeting ourselves.
LOST THINGS REVEALED
I think I met someone today
Amid the crowd of passersby
The foggy image had so much to say
That uncovered my greatest alibi
You see life is formed of many excuses
To explain why dreams are left behind
This encounter seemed so damned intrusive
How dare it open my pointed mind
We as people tend to fool ourselves
That there will be time later for our fantasies
So we put more and more life on the shelf
And make daily drudgery our priority
Myself, he told me to look back
To see what times I let pass by
Important things swept through the cracks
Extended hugs and lullabies
Dreams of a child deemed frivolous
Hopes of a newlywed put aside
Our outlooks that we labeled ridiculous
So much we could have done but never tried
I hope this encounter with myself
Has come in time to make some changes
While I still have ability and decent health
And before I've turned all my pages
THE LAUGHING LADY
Amid the amusement park, the crowd, the glee
One place repels the likes of me
How did such evil invade our space
It is supposed to be a happy place
Disguised in all the euphoric sounds
Is an evil laughter to be found
The horrible laughing lady dwells
To bring our outing to the gates of hell
Good memories there should have always been
But this one of her comes creeping in
It took one glass-enclosed mannequin to destroy
A trip to an amusement park that brought such joy
If I had no sense of humor, I would have long ago committed suicide. Ghandi
THE ESCAPE
There comes a time in everyone's life
There is nowhere left to run and hide
The only way to stick around
Is to paint your face and be a clown
It is the only defense I know
When you have nowhere else to go
Wrinkles etched upon a face turned down
Can't be read behind the painted face of a clown
Good humor is one of the preservatives of our peace and tranquility. Thomas Jefferson
DISGUISED WITH HUMOR
I'm living under the big top
The clowns are my best friends
They always keep me laughing
With their big shoes an billowing pants
I love the prancing horses
The monkeys are a hoot
I avoid the lion's cage
On the high wire there's no parachute
Under the big top there is laughter
So I am very well prepared
Sadness can escape me
At least while I am there
But when time is slow and life is dark
And the circus tent is void of sound
I can feel past all the laughter
I'm really afraid of clowns
quote is from Marilyn von Savant, an American Writer.
Be able to defend your arguments in a rational way. Otherwise, all you have is an opinion.
THE BLIND WILL FOLLOW
The cellar dwellers with their Internet assault
On anyone who dares to question them
They say right winged bigots are at fault
And it's time for the affluent to take their medicine
Misinformed they tend to lead the way
For their president to usurp our liberty
But have they researched the things they say?
Do they truly believe all this negativity?
They defend their arguments with well defined lies
Made up stories is what they tender
When will the sheeple realize
True patriots will never surrender
The administration who will tax us, burden us with regulations
Still find those ignorant factions to fuel their causes
It is with division and truth's manipulation
That brings them over the lines they crossed
The only weapons the socialists have at hand
Are ignorant voters looking for all they can get
Are they just incapable to understand
The real devastation hasn't happened yet?
While under the thumb of crooked politicians
And a government seeded with mass corruption
Economic growth remains in remission
While America faces fiscal destruction
The blind will continue to follow the leaders into the dark
Because there is nowhere else to go
And it is on this journey they embark
Because in ignorance it is misplaced loyalty they know
quote from EDWARD R. MURROW, American Journalist.
We cannot defend freedom abroad by deserting it at home.
MISPLACED PRIORITIES
For our military duty calls
For the citizens liberty falls
In Washington progress stalls
In the divided legislative halls
Our dollars are spent for freedom there
In Afghanistan deadly arms they bear
On tv screens we often stare
At the political rhetoric the liars share
In Afghanistan, boots are on the ground
They receive and fire another round
More good soldiers going down
Leaving grieving families in their hometown
Terrorism is alive and well
No matter what old lies they tell
Social justice they try to sell
And our deficit continues to swell
More soldiers to Afghanistan
Spending months in the burning sand
Political agendas proceed as planned
Taxes rising and arms are banned
The right will fight with no avail
Economy continues to fail
Media bias beyond the pale
Will the left achieve their holy graile?
The quote is from Frederick Douglas, 1817-1895. He was an African American social reformer, orator, and writer.
"When justice is denied, where poverty is enforced, where ignorance prevails, and when any one class is made to feel that society is an organized conspiracy to oppress, rob and degrade them, neither persons nor property will be safe."
These words are so in tune with what we are facing today with an extreme liberal progressive movement. They are following it like a script!
THE AGENDA
We read the news and hear the pundits
On radio and tv
Where government's latest culprit
Again is going free
No justice for the common folks
As more scandals are uncovered
The truth is hidden in mirrors and smoke
More lies go undiscovered
When people are forced into poverty
Thinking they are entitled
Success is put in jeopardy
When welfare has them bridled
It is just another tool
To keep boots upon their throats
Indoctrination in the schools
Freebies guarantee the votes
Keep people ignorant to our history
Reliant on The Man
Make them think that all their misery
Comes at the rich man's hand
Oppression and submission
No, people aren't the same
If there are questions and suspicion
You are racist, you're to blame
Loss of your possessions
Will be their final score
When they finally get the guns
There will be liberty no more
This quote is as true as it gets. Love it!
What is objectionable, what is dangerous, about extremist is not that they are extreme, but that they are intolerant. The evil is not what they say about their cause, but what they say about their opponents.
Robert Kennedy
EXTREME POLITICS
There is sometimes deep inside of men
That set their souls on fire
The compassion that envelopes them
Which sets goodness to transpire
It will drive them to extremes, sometimes
To do more than lend a hand
Willing they are to cross the lines
To enable their fellow man
Then there is yet another extreme
That drives men to seek more power
Their goal is to take control, it seems
And cause lesser men to cower
Our forefathers had given us tools, you know
In the form of check and balance
When far left or right the power flows
Our constitution should give us precedence
But over time we fall back on our heels
And think our freedom is set in stone
Apathy in our hearts conceal
How much government has grown
Amid our tolerance for extreme agendas
And our ignorance of where countries have failed
Then we are fed three meals of propaganda
Allowing the extremist to prevail
One day the government offers universal care
The next day they take our guns
It happens while most are unaware
And the patriots just stand stunned
The bullseye is in the center
Not far left or right
Are we really ready to surrender
While they burn the stars and stripes?
Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.
Martin Luther King Jr. 1929-1968
LOVE OR HATE
Lure me not into your darkness
Invite me not into you hell
I choose to romp in the sunshine chasing my dreams
Not hide from the shadows of nightmares of ominous things
My vision in life is love and camaraderie
In friendship I prefer to lend my hand
Evil voices get this straight
I'll not reside in your world of hate
Positive dreams are more pleasant to share
Than nightmares that cause us to shudder
Love nourishes, enriches, feeds your good soul
Hate eats you alive slowly in a dark hell hole
As only light can obliterate the darkness
You can shine your happiness on the lives you touch
Love can cast hate into the deepest well
Keeping those around you from a living hell
Our brothers and sisters are there with us from the dawn of our personal stories to the inevitable dusk. SUSAN SCARF MERRELL
SIBLINGS
There they were when I was born
My older siblings they would stay
As long as we all were children
They wouldn't go away
There I was when they arrived
My little siblings to mentor
I was in charge of keeping them
Facing front and center
But alas we all go our separate ways
Not that we didn't care
But each of us had families
And lots of love to share
Through life sporadic gatherings
Would bring awkward howdy do's
It is funny when people drift apart
Family memories can go unused
If siblings are the fortunate ones
Who find a chance to reconnect
Growing older can be much brighter
As their lives now intersect
Old memories like a favorite stew
Can be stirred and happily shared
We can look back on the good times
Or discover why we were spared
We may open up some wounds
But together we will heal
We can become philosophical
Or discuss our morning meal
While our children are living busy lives
We again as sisters and a brother
Find comfort as we age together
Remaining young with one another
We will dance to songs that moved us
So many years ago
We will laugh about our escapades
When we found the time to grow
We will share our journeys bad and good
And wipe a tear or two
We will smile sincerely as we remember
Our daily I love you
Sometimes being a brother is even better than being a Superhero. MARC BROWN
MY BROTHER THE HERO
To my parents he is a son
To his teachers another student
To his friends he was a classmate
To his challengers an opponent
To the sailors he was a shipmate
To his employees he was boss
To his enemies he is personna non grata
That's ok, it is their loss
He is everything to many
And nothing to a few
But to me he is a hero
Super in my view
For a little girl a little danger
Can be big in her own mind
But when she has an awesome brother
She can leave her fears behind
DON'T WE CARE?
How can a people having liberty sit back
Allowing our elected officials to act
As treasonous thieves of freedom they go
And take all the perks we have come to know?
How can ignorance overrun a society
With education a jewel of our dynasty
And be allowed to elect the social engineers
Who from past history we once had feared?
Why do we allow an executive branch
To undermine congress at every chance?
How did the parties become so divided
That laws and budgets can't be decided?
Why are so many citizens drawn
To the welfare and subsidies they now are on?
When once this great country stood on pride
And the yearn for success held deep inside?
How did secular society permeate
And divide our country with mistrust and hate?
Why are patriots held in contempt today
When patriotism was once our way?
How did the bright flag that we once flew
Become a faded red, white, and blue?
Why are We the People no longer proud
And anthems in schools no longer allowed?
Socialism has proven to be
A stake in the heart of society
A government will own us, we are all aware
Yet why don't We the People care?
The quote is from Ludwig Von Mises, an Austrian Economist (1881-1973)
The worst evils which mankind has ever had to endure were inflicted by bad governments.
RIGHT BEFORE OUR EYES
Have we not learned from history
What the evil men can do
In the name of government
How they can control and torture you?
Big governments past
Have risen to evil heights
Regulating the people's lives away
Refusing them their rights
The past should paint a picture
Not difficult to decipher
About all the damage governments have done
When they became the great divider
Promises had become an iron fist
Death and starvation had become a fact
Governments cannot stop their rise
Once there are no more patriots to react
While there are some who see it coming
There are too many satisfied
To be thrown crumbs of an existence
As a frugal compromise
When government has grown to such a size
Our rights are recognized no more
And our guns have now been taken
By the soldiers at our door
Right before our eyes
Our constitution can be shredded
And liberty as we knew it
Is systematically beheaded
Will we look upon the past
And wonder why we had not learned?
How evil men can become your leaders
While apathetic backs are turned
General Douglas MacArthur.
I am concerned for the security of our great nation, not so much as any threat from without but from the insidious forces working from within.
THE GENERALS KNOW
The general sits quietly behind his desk
Pondering this situation
He is a patriot so much concerned
Forthe integrity of our nation
He knows the power within government
Has become the enemy
And the wars he is ordered to fight
Are not about our liberty
He sees that democracy is failing
With each directive he receives
And he is sure he knows the facts
Not just something he believes
The real force we are facing
Is coming from within
It is our progressive government
From who we must defend
The general lowers his head
For now it is time to pray
That the citizens will take a stand
And come to save the day
True, he commands the troops
Aptly armed and now in place
But they're programmed by the government
Who is really the enemy we face
Is it time for all the generals
For our patriotic reasons
To take our liberty back
With an act we know as treason?
We have infidels in he White House
Seeking ultimate control
And generals who see inside them
Is it time for heads to roll?
AYN RAND.
Potentially, a government is the most dangerous threat to man’s rights; it holds a legal monopoly on the use of physical force against legally disarmed victims.
OUR SURRENDER
Meant to be our tool
Supposed to be our voices
Elected to represent us
To implement our choices
They have taken on more power
And we are who to blame
Because we never know their intentions
When we put an x beside their name
We have given up our tools
And let them silence our voices
They are there to undermine us
And limit all our choices
We have handed them the weapon
They now point at our heads
And they dare to now disarm us
What's now law is what they've said
And it's no longer We the People
Mapping our destiny
Because our apathy is the reason
We have lost our liberty
But whatever the circumstance I still say CHOOSE TO BE VICTORIOUS!
A MATTER OF PERCEPTION
Just finishing the race is fine for some
It is with great satisfaction we get it done
Other have the need to feel glorious
And end the race victorious
For those of us so glory bound
We pass the treasures the wanderers found
With haste rewards are left along the way
The finishers who reap them are victorious, I'd say
So the winner may be an odd selection
Judged by each alternate perception
Some see the winners are the first to have crossed
Others see how in haste the things they have lost
Carl Sandburg:
Life is like an onion. You peel it off one layer at a time, and sometimes you weep.
IT IS NOT ALWAYS EASY
The path we walk is clear at times
Perhaps a fallen tree might block our journey
But faith in The Lord seems to help us by
With lots of prayer and a bit of worry
When it comes time to cross a stream
Sometimes a refreshing swim will do
When obstacles are more prevalent, it seems
Waiting it out may get us through
The gusty winds we face head on
May be sometimes do or die
We find it hard to just tread on
And need to sit and cry
Amid the challenges we all have faced
Are rewards at every turn
Sometimes we must veer from the map we have traced
And accept the bridges burned
Nelson Mandela:
After climbing a great hill, one only finds that there are many more hills to climb.
ROLLING HILLS
Life is but a series of challenges
Rolling hills along the horizon as far as I can see
But with each hill I've had to climb
A different reward would wait for me
The quote is from BENJAMIN FRANKLIN. Ah the wisdom of Ben...
Only a virtuous people are capable of freedom. As nations become corrupt and vicious, they have more need of masters.
ON TO SOCIALISM
A once docile people tend the land
Only concerned about the work at hand
That will feed the people their home grown bounty
And let them pursue happiness in a united county
In come the corrupt tyrants moved by their greed
Gathering in groups the people in need
Convincing them all of a generous society
With plenty to give to ease their anxiety
They demonize the workers who have made their own way
Say they are not willing to share from their tray
They promise to help if the people select them
To act as their leaders, legally elect them
Welfare and foodstamps are a new source of living
Taxes upon taxes from the workers now giving
Why should we survive with sweat on our brow
When the government promises to take care of us now?
One by one regulations will strangle them
Companies fold from the rules that entangle them
Big government has everyone under control
A socialist society, that's how they roll
The evil crooks are the robbers no more
The ones to mistrust are the wolves at your door
They come to squeeze taxes from everyone
And while they are at it they are taking your gun
Soon in the darkness, behind doors you must pray
They listen intently to the things that you say
Letters and emails are for their prying eyes
They have captured the people with false promises and lies
Only virtuous people are apt to be free
Tyrants prey on the people with no hope to be seen
Those earning a living under pressure will fall
And poverty will be the curse of us all
here is a quote from an Iraqi Politician, Jalal Talabani: (born 1938)
A military coup needs a sacrifice and courage that you can’t find in an army without morale.
IN THE ENEMY'S MIND
The morale is always high
When their goal is always to die
Wearing bombs they are more than happy to go
Among our troops and let it blow
There is always excited elation
Each sacrifice brings celebration
They firmly believe that a reward awaits
In their own conception of Heaven's gates
How do we battle this emotion?
That killing and dying are their total devotion
When the spilling of blood is an enemy's lust
And the spilling of their own is an ultimate must
Yet our leaders continue to comply
Ordering death to an enemy who wants to die
It is our boots on the ground who quickly understand
The rewards of the Shiite for their each fallen man
The best morale exist when you never hear the word mentioned. When you hear a lot of talk about it, it’s usually lousy.
Dwight Eisenhower
THE DEATH OF THEIR MORALE
It is quiet on the front when the shooting stops
But the bombs in the distance never cease
There is no longer hopeful banter among the soldiers
Just private prayers for those recently deceased
They landed in Afghanistan ready to fight
Young and cocky, they'd be the ones to get it done
But as days turned to night and night's turned to months
All they ever thought of was missing someone
The enemy had no conception of loss
For Allah they were willing to die
For every kill another was there
For Shiite they would always comply
You could tell that this war took its toll
The soldiers knew there would be no surrender
Morale is at an all time low
The war's reason grew hard to remember
The Commander in Chief Vacations in Maui
There are photo ops with wounded vets
The lonely months in Afghanistan
Are as tortuous as any war can get
There is no longer a will to win this thing
An end can no longer be found
They just count the days until fresh troops come in
And their boots are no longer on this God forsaken ground
Quote from Thomas Sowell who always has wise things to say:
Sometimes it seems as if there are more solutions than problems. On closer scrutiny it turns out that many of today's problems are a result of yesterday’s solutions.
MAKING THINGS RIGHT
We patched with haste the open wound
We burned our bridges way too soon
We took the deal, could not decline
Because the money was right at the time
In an instant decisions were made
Without thinking dues were paid
But solutions were short lived at best
And old problems came back to haunt us
Will our solutions now become reality
Decisions made as easily as they were yesterday?
Now that there is twice the pain to satisfy
Are hasty solutions possible to rectify?
Edward R. Murrow caught my eye. It’s a simple quote but he makes a good point.
"Our major obligation is not to mistake slogans for solutions."
Can it be we can have a hip hopping day because a slogan says so? Would you try to curb depression based on an advertisement that says Sunny Flakes can brighten your morning? Be advised, problems cannot be solved by heeding snappy sentences created to make you believe there is an easy cure for anything if you buy the product...and that goes for politics, too. M. Beatty
Heck, aging wasn't bothering me until I found out people were noticing!
THE DAY REALITY SET IN
I have always been comfortable with aging
I was only as young as I felt
Even though my hormones stopped raging
And I wasn't so trim and svelte
I thought I seemed young for my age
I still listen to hip hop and rock
But today at the store in conversation engaged
Reality was swiftly unblocked
The cashier asked me if I was okay
She wondered if I need help
Sure, I may have looked tired today
But I certainly can fend for myself
The spring in my step may seem like a shuffle
My breath may be tinged with a wheeze
I may seem a bit stooped and lack some true hustle
And my grey hair has been mussed by the breeze
Though I appreciate the compassion
Her courtesy caused me no harm
I may be moved to an act of aggression
If a boy scout offers his arm!
The weather might not allow us to just sit under the shade of a tree but there is strength and beauty all around us if we are open to seeing it.
THE BRIGHT SIDE
It may still be too cold for lemonade or iced tea
It would be silly to sip it under a hibernating tree
But it is never too early to dream of your favorite shady spot
And be thankful you're not sweating in weather too hot
Hope is much different than dread for the day
It makes no sense to wish your valuable time away
Cold winter days can be filled with much pleasure
Planning for a future event you will treasure
A warm winter night before a crackling fire
Fueled by hot chocolate will surely inspire
The arms of your lover holding you close
Will make living through winter the time you love most
My strength never came from political echelon, it came from family, and from the fields and the lands and the flowers and everything I see there. My strength came from there. Ariel Sharon
STRENGTH
Strength comes from the environment, your den, your lair
It comes from the people around you with whom you share
It comes from the air you breathe, the mountains you view
And from the innermost part of you
Power comes from people's faith in your dreams
Bad or good deeds and schemes
Power is a gift or what you have taken
A well earned pedestal or of your lies mistaken
Don't mistake your power for your strength
Because people will hold your leadership at arm's length
A strong man is influenced by what is right within
Grown from good will and discipline
It is only in sorrow that bad weather masters us; in joy we face the storm and defy it.
Amelia Barr American Novelist 1831-1919
AS LIFE USES
The majesty of the snow on the night before Christmas
Multiplies the joy of the season
The blanket of white makes the feeling just right
As the crystal-like flakes seem to glisten
The same winter storm can beat a soul down
As it holds us hostage once again
Mighty drifts and bitter ice leave us home bound
And the long winter makes life seem so grim
The spring storm advances amid awe, we're entranced
The light show and thunder roll in
The rains melt the snow giving flowers a chance
The barren brown fields let new grasses grow in
But terror can strike as a whirling wind forms
Our apprehension changes to fear
A killer from the sky has demonized the storm
That as a sign of spring we once welcomed here
Warm breezes and beaches are welcome relief
From the flood and mud and rain
Anticipation of vacations gives us reprieve
Amid the fields of bounty dotting the terrain
But the unbearable heat from the summer sun beating
Keeps us inside where we hide from the fire
The hope of pleasant frolicking ever so fleeting
As a draught burns out our hopeful desire
New autumn colors and chilly fall mornings
Bring the best and worst of summer to an end
Pumpkins for carving, for candy kids starving
On Thanksgiving our blessings we'll send
But alas comes the bad to overshadow the good
As another year has been used and is gone
With bliss and with turmoil we bravely stood
Enduring what was right and the wrong
Life is not always poetry and hope
There are always pitfalls and pain
We can only rely on our ability to cope
And not let reality drive us insane
Steps can be such beasts in waiting. Hope it is not broken....
a quote from P.L. Berger born 1929 in Austria and became a US citizen. He was a Sociologist.
Things are not what they seem. Social reality turns out to have many layers of meanings.
WHEN IT ALL COMES TOGETHER
In the mass of people, our population
Scores of stories invade space and time
What we see in correlation
Are many factions of life entwined
We may never really see most social realities
Not butted up to our own life's carousel
Our existence is our own generalities
Our own Heaven, our own hell
Newscasts seem a distant fiction
When we adhere to our general daily grind
We ride our own waves, endure our own friction
Out of sight means out of mind
Once like factions invade many spaces
And we all converge upon a common grade
We will share the challenges of other places
And in commonality our beds are made
Study history. Study history. In history lies all the secrets of statecraft.
Winston Churchill
HEEDING HISTORY
Full steam ahead
Have no fear
No lights are red
The highway is clear
Wait! Not too fast
The clues are behind you
Glance back
See where the pitfalls may find you
Mahatma Ghandi
A small body of determined spirits fired by an unquenchable faith in their mission can alter the course of history.
NO LONGER IDLE
People sitting, waiting, hoping
Fingers crossed, yet completely mute
Where are we going my countrymen?
Is it a resurgence or perhaps we will be destitute?
It comes to mind when all is said and done
In neutral this vehicle won't run
Only patriots with heart have the keys
But cannot succeed being the only ones
People standing, proceeding, likely succeeding
When they had progressive politics up to here
No longer idle, now proceeding
No longer paralyzed with fear
Mountains to climb, liberty craved
With initiative their freedom can be saved
Moving forward as one
United patriots will get the job done
THE MAN FROM THE MISSION
The man from the mission came over that day
To help shovel the snow that halted our business, per se
He asked for nothing, just coffee and chat
It was very lonely at the point of life he was at
We took him for lunch and talked for awhile
He still had some dreams of a better life style
We bought him a hat, warm boots, and some gloves
He seemed to cherish our offer of love
Time passed and our homeless friend didn't appear
For some time he vacated the mission so near
We thought of him often and hoped he was well
Life on the street must be some kind of hell
The next year another humongous snow came to town
The mission man again arrived as the snow blanketed the ground
He still sported the boots and the gloves and the hat
But the spring in his step we will never forget
Our kindness and appreciation dealt him new hope
He realized that with courage and respect he could cope
He had been steadily working and making a living
And was anxious to thank others for the help he was given
He grabbed a shovel and and joined in our task
Just volunteered, we didn't even ask
He invited us to lunch and wanted to treat us
And explained how easily the world can beat us
Our friendship, he said, made him feel like the man
Who once could not but has proven he can
That man from the mission we considered a friend
We would pray for the progress for this man on the mend
This man on a mission to retrieve self respect
No longer himself he would ever neglect
He had a new future of progress to fill
And looked satisfied as he took care of the bill
MATERIAL PERKS SET ASIDE
Keep what you have earned and not what you covet
Accept what is offered in the spirit of giving
Review your jealousy and rise above it
For what is taken from you, be forgiving
Embrace, if you will, things of the heart
Superficial tokens often bring pain
Set your luxuries and true treasures apart
Gold is often an emotional strain
Set your material perks aside
Let charity and love freely flow
Purge all the guilt you have hidden inside
Feel the warmth from the fire in your heart set aglow
Let the sight of a miracle be your lust
When it brings another true redemption and joy
When your righteous emotion becomes what you trust
You have reached the greatest skill a mortal can employ
QUOTE
The sea does not reward those who are too anxious, too greedy, or too impatient...One should lie empty, open, as a beach....waiting for a gift from the sea.
Anne Morrow Lindbergh
DO NOT DISTURB THE WATERY TOMB
The deep holds secrets from time past
Sailors and passengers in the deep are aghast
As scavengers disturb their ghosts
Taking what they will from the ancient hosts
The Titanic lay sullen in the deep
With the souls of the lost now asleep
Now people pillage what was rightfully hoarded
In the tomb of the ship they so eagerly boarded
Graves in the sea are not viewed with reverence
Curses overcome the scavengers with such arrogance
Thieves pillage the treasure of those resting below
The ghosts of sea watch and they know
Take what you will from the beaches washed ashore
Offerings from the depths of the ocean floor
Trinkets released from the lost resting below
To the waves and the tides as they ebb and they flow
Eisenhower.
History does not long entrust the care of freedom to the weak and timid.
OUR STRENGTH
We are born of special ancestors
Who for liberty they fought
And they secured for us our freedom
That's what history taught
Should we continue to weaken
And let our legacy slip away
Big government shall own us
And for mercy we'll pray
It takes a strong people
For our liberty to bear
With strong people standing
Our constitution will be there
Our strength will then determine
What we keep or distort
Should we decline to speak boldly
We'll regrettably fall short
Oh what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive.
Sir Walter Scott
DECEPTION
Do you want to test your memory?
Does your truth wear a disguise?
Do you need a detailed directory
To document your many lies?
Have you woven a sticky web of deceit?
And find yourself stuck fast
Because of lies beginning to re-repeat
And are flooding you from the past?
If you are not burdened to concoct a story
That justifies the false
Truth will stand in all its glory
And credibility won't be lost
Iris Murdoch shouted: The cry of equality pulls everyone down.
Wouldn't it be nice if everyone could be equal? The sad truth is that equal wealth should require equal effort, and people being people, that just ain't gonna happen! To achieve a more balanced economic condition, the unachievers would benefit the fruits of another's labor. Why would people toil if they could ride the coat tails of others? And thus, our country balances out at a lower level of equality instead of rising to new economic growth. M. Beatty
Thomas Mann, a German Journalist. (1875-1855)
It is a strange fact that freedom and equality, the two basic ideas of democracy, are to some extent contradictory. Logically considered, freedom and equality are mutually exclusives, just as society and the individual are mutually exclusive.
Equality in its pure form is unachievable considering human nature. No two people are the same, or own the same ambitions. To be equally endowed with benefits requires and equal effort. Some people are just more inclined to achieve, others are prone to living off what a government provides for them by taking from the achievers. M. Beatty
I just think equality in relating to people is impossible. It is hard enough to find mathematical equality. Even snowflakes are not equal, nor should they be. One should not settle for equality for the closest thing to equality would by human nature be much less than their potential. M. Beatty
Check this out on AMZN: The Thickest of Blood http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007PLHEYM/ref=cm_sw_r_an_am_ap_am_us?ie=UTF8
Your present circumstances don’t determine where you can go; they merely determine where you start.
Nido Qubein/ American Businessman
STATUS IS NO EXCUSE
Go ahead, absorb all the negative influences dealt
Wallow in all the bitter feelings felt
Ignore the forks and crossroads
And keep following the land of lost roads
Escape is yours if you have a mind to
Negative circumstances should be behind you
Some people have mentors who should not be
Success is your option your mind is free
Your status isn't set in stone
Life is your making for you to own
Climb out if the pit you found yourself in
Be a can do and not a has seen s
A young man thinks in terms of the future. Man in his prime is busy with the present. Man walking his final mile thrives in his memories. M. Beatty
THE JOURNEY
The road ahead is open and paved
For the young man with only his future to see
There is no reason for time to be saved
He must hurry to find who he'll be
There are roadblocks and tolls and construction ahead
A working man in his prime lives in the now
He goes day to day just making his bed
Just worrying about why, when, and how
Time goes too quickly in the final mile
The old man dwells on the memories he made
He will be leaving his life in a very short while
No more options to buy, sell, or trade
TWO LIVES WITHOUT A CHOICE
A miracle happens, a baby cries
Tears of joy spring to our eyes
A brand new canvas with hope to be painted
Memories to be made but not yet acquainted
Loving arms and fairytales told
If only it lasted as people grow old
Too often a child's life is met with intrusion
Bitterness and arguments cause him confusion
Quickly gone is a painting of time without fear
Life is a nemesis filled with disappointment and tears
Hush my child please don't cry
Mommy and daddy promise to try
Sketches made hastily in black and white
No hope for the child born this night
Not every baby meets such a fate
Not every family is filled such hate
Two old souls with memories to bear
One dealt the aces, life was so fair
The other a victim of shattered dreams
Once hopeful pages torn to smithereens
Two little lives presented no choice
One was a burden the other rejoiced
Who presents fate to each baby born?
Who draws the destiny to life tattered and torn?
A strange thing is memory, and hope; one looks backward, and the other forward; one is of today, the other of tomorrow. Memory is history recorded in our brain, memory is a painter, it paints pictures of the past and of today.
Anna Mary Robertson/AKA Grandma Moses
MEMORIES AND HOPE
Time etched deliberately in my mind
Faces and actions I've sadly left behind
Come the memories best put aside, then
I'm wishing for places I could easily hide them
The past is a portrait of me
Hopefully who I tried to be
But still I'm a victim of some circumstance
Negative impressions that happened by chance
Hope is the daily sun as it rises
Days filled with my will, some surprises
Roads in disrepair, I can't avoid the bumps
Grand trees I imagined now sad lonely stumps
I cannot choose the memories I dream
Or control the nightmares that cause me to scream
But at times I'm awake, memories make me smile
And I try to be hopeful, at least for awhile
"If you can take the time to do it right the first time...how will you ever find the time to do it over?" J. Dixon
THE FIRST AND FINAL DRAFT
Build it slow and deliberately
Find mistakes along the way
Make use of time considerably
Leave no time for play
When done you have a masterpiece
No reason to redo it
A creation of your expertise
No time left to renew it
"Most people who ask for advice have generally made up their minds what they want to do...they are just looking for confirmation...and in some cases someone else to blame in case it doesn't work out." J. Dixon
"Taking someone's advice, in the mind of an incompetent, is merely a tool used blame others for a wrong decision. Heeding another's advice in the mind of a competent thinker is an act of humility." M. Beatty
"And of course our best advice could have come from ourselves to ourselves." S. Krogman
"Advice, like a commodity, is meant to be weighed. The best value between your own conclusion and someone's advice is the choice best implemented." M. Beatty
Sometimes we ask for advice and this is what Khalil Gibran has to say about that:
"Most people who ask for advice from others have already resolved to act as it pleases them."
Asking someone's advice is a form of respect. You ask it knowing full well you have come to your own conclusion. It is an intelligent person who can ask for token advice with an open mind, then have the humility to realize he had initially come to the wrong conclusion and willingly heed the advice. M. Beatty
TOKEN ADVICE
Advice is but a token need
Asked in true respect
It's not asked with intent to heed
It is rare that we accept
But the thoughtful people who know their mind
Have the insight to rearrange it
When they ask for advice of any kind
Their conclusion they might change it
The quote is from VIGGO MORTENSEN, an American Actor who was in Lord of the Rings. Born 1958.
"One of the best pieces of advice was from a horse master. He told me to go slow to go fast. I think that applies to everything in life. We live as though there aren’t enough hours in the day but if we do each thing calmly and carefully we will get it done quicker and with much less stress."
Time is a gift, yet a curse.
Treasure it as though it is the most precious thing you own, use it slowly and deliberately. Use it too fast and you lose its intention. Thus it becomes a curse. M. Beatty
The closing of a door can bring blessed privacy and comfort...the opening, terror. Conversely, the closing of a door can be a sad and final thing...the opening a wonderfully joyous moment.
ISOLATION
The room of life is never a vacuum
Moments and memories are spinning round and round
No matter what comfort the familiarity brings
The door must open to other things
Apprehensively outside we peer
For fear that evil is lurking near
Should we dare to open lifetime's door
And risk the unknown we are looking for?
So much pain has circled this room
Within it and out we've avoided the doom
What goodness may stand outside the door
Holding back a brutal firestorm?
The stale air becomes hard to breath
An opened door relief can bring
Sometimes we must assume some risk
To set the stale air adrift
As doors are closed so is the mind
Doors are not meant to hide behind
AMERICA
The symbol of freedom soars over the hill
The eagle so regal inspires us still
The monuments of stone in Washington stand
Showing respect for those who surely demand it
Red is the blood that flows on foreign soil
In the wars to protect the sacred oil
White are the angels overwhelmed to protect
The families of fallen warriors that wars affect
Blue is the feeling that is said to be
For the continuing loss of liberty
Although ugly and brutal these times it seems
America the Beautiful remains our theme
To be the ideal guest, stay at home. (E.W. Howe)
STAY HOME
Do not a party animal be
Refrain from coming to visit me
If all you offer is boring conversation
Little humor and desperation
Stay away if you growl or yawn
Belch or fart, and man, you're gone
If all you do is cry and moan
Do us a favor and stay at home
CHARACTER IS THE ABILITY TO CARRY OUT A GOOD RESOLUTION LONG AFTER THE EXCITEMENT OF THE MOMENT HAS PASSED.
SIMPLY ME
Promises kept
Boundaries lept
The truest of friends we'll be
Resolutions made
Truth displayed
It's the character I want in me
&
ANY MAN WHO SELECTS A GOAL IN LIFE THAT CAN BE FULLY ACHIEVED HAS ALREADY DEFINED HIS OWN LIMITATION.
LIMITATIONS
It is a small feat to climb a hill
A very small challenge, little skill
To plant your flag on a mountain peak
Is a goal a champion would complete
Don't define your limits or set the bar
When in your heart you crave a star
Keep the imagination of a child
Don't settle, let your dreams run wild
Stand in the spotlight's illumination
Don't sell yourself short with limitations
The hope for the champion you want to be
Beats a life of invisibility
Both quotes are from Cavett Robert, an American businessman who was born in 1907.
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